The Stars in Her Eyes
by ERidg17
Summary: If you were to describe Calliope Souh, extraordinary is not the word that would typically come to mind. All she wanted to do was be happy with her brother - for once - and maybe fit in a little bit. But Takashi Morinozuka sees galaxies under her skin and the night sky and all it's stars in her eyes.
1. Chapter 1

Calliope Souh isn't anything specifically extraordinary. She isn't beautiful like the other girls, or delicate like them, or pale and small like them, easily contained in a glass box, like a porcelain doll with shiny hair and a gently, lilting vice and pale, perfect skin.

At first look, Calliope Souh is a small girl with sun-darkened skin wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Takashi glances at her, then down at Mitskuni's little blond head, then looks back up at her, and notices more. Like her eyes and her hair and her fingers.

Takashi is good at noticing things.

Like how her eyes seem brighter than the stars at night in the middle of nowhere - almost too bright for her face. He's heard and seen books and TV shows and the few magazines he reads say, 'this color will make your eyes pop!' but he thinks it may have something to do with how vibrant her eyes are, even against all the bright colors of the flowers.

And her fingers are heavily callused on the pads of each finger, from years of practicing an instrument - the violin, as he finds out. And as he notices later, she sometimes slips away into the delicate notes of a concerto, swaying back and forth to the melody she taps out on the tabletop.

And for another thing, he will eventually realize, she is big. She takes up the room with her energy, with her voice, just by standing there. Just by entering a room, everything seems brighter. He's never really understood it when people say _The room lights up when she walks in_ but he thinks it has something to do with the way everything seems to zoom into high-resolution the closer to her it gets, and the way that colors brighten and intensify around her.

And, he immediately notices, based on the scar running from the base of her throat, a little left of the center of her chest that disappears the down collar of her shirt, that she's not one to take things lying down like a doormat.

But for now, all he knows is that she's the girl wearing the white shirt and the blue jeans and she has galaxies trapped under her skin and he sure that when she speaks they will come pouring out her mouth.

To him, Calliope Souh is a universe trapped in a human body.

* * *

><p><strong>so this is the first chapter of the rewrite. It will be entirely third person POV like I previously said. The updates will be slow, since life hasn't stopped, only slowed a bit down. <strong>

**Until next time Minna! **


	2. Chapter 2

The second time Calliope Souh sees her brother's friends, it's her first day of school and her fingers are numb and she's already out of breath. She's taken her meds like she does everyday but today they don't seem to be working as well as they usually do. Calli is feeling extremely out-of-place and stressed and scared and she does not want to be here at all.

But she's used to the dread and the fright and the feeling like she's drowning in thin air so Calli can suck it up relatively well. Almost well enough to fool even Tamaki, which is eventually her goal.

She's actually pretty proud of herself until Tamaki leads her over to the group of people who had shown up on the lawn last week. She had stuck around to say hi, listen to Tamaki rattle off a few names, then excused herself to go get something, then hadn't gone back. Calli wasn't particularly proud of that, but she knew what she could and couldn't handle and she couldn't handle meeting her brothers new BFFs so early in the morning before she had taken her medication.

Calli smiles politely, says hello to them again, mutters something about how it's really nice to meet them again, then falls silent again.

Between studying her shoes and glancing quickly up at each of their faces in turn, she gets an overall good look of them.

Two of them have dark brown or black hair, but one of them wears glasses and the other is extremely tall and broad-shouldered. But they both have grey eyes, though the one with the glasses has darker, flatter grey eyes that the other, whose eyes are almost silver.

There are two identical twins with nearly identical hair cuts, except one parts to the right and one parts to the left. And one has a button on his bag that the other doesn't. Their hair is bright red and their eyes are a strange yellow-green and she's thinking that they can't be fully Japanese. She's learned that in this school - in this entire culture of mansions and expensive jewelry and gardens filled with rare flowers, really - it's a sore spot. But that's about it. They both have the same expression of boredom on their faces, and they're standing on either side of a small, soft boy who couldn't be much taller than herself.

The boy's face is round and soft and adorable. His hair is a lighter brown and his eyes are the color of melted chocolate and she gets the sense he gives the best puppy-dog eyes in the history of the universe. He's small and soft in comparison to the others, who are all sharp corners and cold, dark folds of fabric, especially the one with the glasses, who gives Calli chills down her spine. They all reek of money and mansions and maids and butlers, but something of the boy - who she thinks is Haruhi Fujioka who Tamaki totally has a crush on even if he won't admit it - reminds her of home-cooked meals and warm, soft blankets.

The only other blonde is absolutely tiny and adorable and he's carrying a small stuffed rabbit. His eyes are a darker brown, and something about him is so sickeningly sweet Calli feels like she's supposed to have a toothache just from looking at him. He's overshadowed protectively by the tall, dark-haired one in a way that makes her think they're related.

He catches her glancing at him and meets her gaze levelly, calmly. Calli immediately glances away, blushing intensely and clenching her jaw shut. Suddenly the stuffy hallways seems much hotter than it did a second ago. Somebody drops something, a binder or a box, and it echoes loudly in the clustered hallway, making her flinch and her hands tighten into fists. This always happens when she makes eye contact. She freaks out.

Her heart starts pounding and her breathing speeds up. Tamaki is the only one standing close enough to hear it and he rests a hand inside her elbow, rubbing his thumb against the inside of her arm, discreetly checking her pulse.

He finds it and counts it and he brushes a hand down her arm to grab her hand and Tamaki curls Calli's fingers into his palm to warm them.

"I'm going to show Calli our classroom. We'll see you at lunch." He excuses them, and the one with the glasses nods sharply at them. Calli thinks his name is either Kyouya or Takashi.

The twins, who she knows for sure are Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, scoff and turn away, but the boy who she thinks is Haruhi Fujioka with the light brown hair smiles gently and elbows the twins harshly.

Tamaki leads her into an empty classroom, and sits her at a desk where her back is to the wall and she's facing the doorway so she can see when people walk in.

Calli scratches at the desktop, trying to relieve the numbness in her fingers.

"_Did you take your medication today?_" He asks, sounding tired and exhausted and the guilt gnaws at her because she knows it's from when he stayed up late with her last night when she couldn't breathe.

"_Of course, Tamaki._" Calli snaps at him. "_I always do and you know that._"

Tamaki presses his lips together and sighs harshly. "_I do know that, but you've been here for ten minutes and you're already struggling. You don't have to do this today. We can do it next week, or even the week after that. Papa won't mind. You know you can't stress out your heart like that."_

Calli glares at him, rolling her eyes in irritation. "_Then when would I come back to start school, Tamaki? What if we kept pushing it back and pushing it back and pushing it back? How long until eventually it turned into me being homeschooled because of something I have under control?_"

"_But your heart-_"

"_Is fine. I'll let you know if I need you, okay?_" Calli reaches out and ruffles his hair. Tamaki glares at her from underneath the hair that has flopped into his eyes. "_You can't keep worrying about me._"

The first student files into the room, chatting over her shoulder in rapid-fire Japanese with her friend. Calli can only understand about half the words she's saying, and even then, it takes her a few moments to translate to French.

"_Fine._" Tamaki huffs, standing and waving energetically as the boy she thinks is Kyouya or Takashi/Mori - she gets confused when Tamaki talks about Takashi/Mori because he uses two different names almost interchangeably - enters the room. "_But this isn't done._" He grumbles under his breath at her before shouting, "Kyouya! Mon ami! Over here!"

And with an annoyed huff and sigh Kyouya slides into the seat next to him, diagonal from her, completely ignoring Calli besides a small nod aimed in her direction. Tamaki starts to chatter rapidly at him in Japanese. He's talking almost to fast for her to keep up, but she gets the jist that he's talking about his club and their meeting afterschool. It gives her chills just to think about it.

Students continue to file in, and she determinedly ignores them. For once, she's not worried if this is somebody else's seat, because Tamaki wouldn't have led her to an occupied seat.

Voices swell up around them, and Callie clenches her hands into fists underneath the desk and focuses on her breathing and trying to make it normal as possible. People here will tear her apart, Tamaki had explained, if she gives them the chance and the reason.

And she reckons they already have a reason; she's Tamaki Souh's twin sister, daughter of that French woman the chairman hooked up with when he was married and in France. These girls and boys will tear into her like fresh meat given to wild dogs, Callie knows, it's always the same at every school.

So Callie will be the twin sister with the dirty blood and the weird scar and the weak heart and the bad circulation and she can be shy and that's fine, that's somewhat acceptable.

But she will not be the twin sister with social anxiety and a major heart disease that's also killing her who's easy prey for these vultures.

"_Okay, Calli?_" Tamaki double checks, no doubt faintly noticing her hands have stopped shaking and she's raised her head.

Calli smiles grimly at him, the chatter she can decipher strengthening her resolve. "_I'm good._"

* * *

><p>The rest of class leading up to lunch is spent pretending she can't understand anything anybody is whispering about her. It's nothing too cruel yet, nothing she hasn't heard before. Calli's pretty easy going in the first place, so it doesn't really bother her yet. She's kinda looking forward to when they realize she can understand about 34th of what they're saying and has a vague grasp on what the other fourth is.

The nice thing about having no idea how the lunch line works is that temporarily, Tamaki will buy her lunch for her until she gets in the groove of things. Everything is exotic sounding and Calli's 85% sure that Tamaki ordered her the most familiar food he could. But he of course denies it so she stops nudging him with her elbow.

Kyouya is seated across from them, reading a book while his food sits untouched. Calli doesn't really think far enough ahead to assume Tamaki's other friends will be sitting with them until they're all actually sitting down.

The twins actually make a conscious effort to ignore her, and though it hurts - even though she doesn't really know them at all - she finds it amusing.

The brown-haired boy - who Calli is 100% sure now is indeed, in fact, Haruhi Fujioka - smiles gently at her. "How was your class?"

It takes her a few seconds to properly think of a response, because while she's staring at the table and avoiding eye contact again - they're all sitting in a corner near the window, so she's feeling pretty okay so far - she's distracted by Takashi/Mori sitting next to her. "It was good. Thank you."

"Aww, she still has an accent!" The twins chorus, which is by far the weirdest thing she's ever heard. "How cute!" They're mocking her, Calli can tell. She doesn't really think they're doing it on purpose, because when she does quickly glance up at them, she doesn't see any malice on their faces. It seems more like a reflex, like how she stands with her back to the wall.

So Calli smiles down at the table and laughs with them. "It is funny, yes?"

Even Tamaki chuckles at this, at how awkward her words are put together. But she hasn't learned how to speak like Tamaki does yet.

The little blonde - his name is the hardest name she's ever even heard of, but also she's used to a different type of name, a different style, but still Calli's embarrassed that she's unsure about his name - swings his legs like a small child and asks in a cute little voice that fits his persona, "Calli-chan - " Calli thinks this is similar to a nickname because she's heard it tossed around today already - " - What's the scar on your chest from? I saw it last week before you went inside."

Haruhi frowns and glances at her apologetically. "Hani-senpai, that's rude to ask." He chides him. Hani-senpai pouts and folds his arms.

"It's okay. I don't mind." Calli tells Haruhi, glancing up at his face and then fixing her eyes on his hair. "Thank you though. That was nice of you."

Tamaki cocks his head to the side and watches her. She meets his eye and smiles, then leans around Takashi/Mori to get a better look at Hani-senpai, glancing at his stuffed rabbit. "I had heart surgery when I was fourteen. That is what the scar is left from."

Haruhi leans closer and asks, "What did you have the surgery for?"

Tamaki answers for her, since she doesn't know the word for _pacemaker_. And then he continues talking in words she can kind of understand, getting louder and louder. But he's grinning widely and almost bouncing in his chair so Calli isn't concerned that he's yelling at her.

Haruhi rolls his eyes affectionately, and asks her if he's always like this. Callie just shakes her head, still looking at his hairline.

Hani-senpai grins widely at her and responds enthusiastically to Tamaki's explanation. "I'm glad you're okay, Calli-chan!"

Calli smiles at him and averts her eyes to the table. "Thank you."

It falls into an awkward silence - for her, at least. Everybody else is eating quietly, even Tamaki. But Calli still feels sick to her stomach with nerves and besides she never really has been able to eat in front of other people anyways so she sits there quietly, propping her head up in the palm of her hand and letting her hair fall over her shoulders and swing forward to cover her face.

Suddenly Haruhi clears his throat from in front of her and asks, "Do you have a dog like Tamaki-senpai, Calli-senpai?"

Calli has no idea what the Senpai means either, and she's adds it to her list of things to ask Tamaki later - so far she has senpai, chan, kun, and how to address people properly. "No, only Tamaki has a dog. There was only two left."

"Do you want a dog?"

"We share Antoinette." Tamaki butts in eagerly, almost bouncing in his seat. "Calli hates big dogs, they scare her." He pats her on the head, a bit too roughly, patronizing her.

Calli looks at him, wide-eyed and irritated. He was never like this at home, always quiet and kind and he minded his own business. Their mom taught him better than this.

"_Tamaki-_" She starts to hiss quietly under her breath, but is cut over by Haruhi.

"That'd be really interesting to know, Tamaki-senpai, if I was _talking to you._" He hisses at Tamaki, eyes sharp as knives. Tamaki turns red and slouches in his seat. This just strengthens her suspicion that Tamaki actually does have a huge crush on Haruhi because he only blushes in front of people he likes.

Calli grins at Haruhi, looking at his nose instead of his eyes, and laughs with him and the twins. Hikaru and Kaoru immediately start teasing him, calling him 'Boss' and something about mushrooms. She sits there watching them for a moment, still smiling and the twins seem to think she's smiling at them because they look at each other and then back at her and grin. It looks like the Grinch's grin copied twice.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?" Haruhi asks her kindly, already half-standing and holding his lunch.

Calli looks up at him and shakes her head, pulling the chair next to her out. Haruhi sits, and his arm brushes hers. Calli realizes how close the chairs are and moves back so quickly her chair screeches agonizingly against the ground. The conversation, at least at her table, pauses and they all look at her, besides Kyouya. Haruhi stares at her oddly, and she realizes how rude that must have looked.

"Sorry." Calli whispers, ducking her head and blushing a violent red, shivering under their stares. Her heart rate picks up and she really just wishes they would all stop looking at her.

Tamaki pats her on the back, gently this time, and rests his arm on the back of her chair. Her fingers are numb again and she sits on them. Haruhi seems to realize that he's still looking at her and starts eating again.

There's thump, and the twins let out two indignant noises. Harumi sends them a sharp look and they're quiet again, picking up their utensils and resuming eating.

The rest of lunch is silent.

* * *

><p>"<em>Are you going to be okay coming?<em>" Tamaki asks her after class, rubbing warmth into her hands. "_You can wait in the library._"

But she can't, because she doesn't know how it works. She doesn't know how the system works, she doesn't know where the seats are, she doesn't know if there are specific places for people to sit or what and since she doesn't know that she can't go. Calli likes to know how things work before she does them.

"_No, I can go with you. Is there a back room or something I can wait in_?"

Tamaki and Calli walk down the nearly deserted hallways, having waited for them to clear out a bit before leaving their classroom. "Of course there is. Just don't eat things out of the kitchen, Kyouya might actually kill you if Hani-senpai doesn't get there first."

Calli frowns and leans up on her tip toes to ask him quietly, "_What does that mean? Senpai?_"

"_It's an honorific for somebody older than you. If they're a lot older, than you add San at the end. Or if you don't know them that well._" He explained. "_And Kun is for a younger boy you're friends with. And Chan is generally reserved for younger girls or close friends. And you always have to use an honorific when you're talking to somebody unless you're really good friends with them. For some reason, its a sign of disrespect._"

She frowned as they passed the first music room, the high notes from a flute echoing in the empty hall. "_So Kyouya is -_ "

"_Kyouya-senpai, unless you guys get close like we are._" His chest puffed out with pride and Calli grinned up at him.

"_And Haruhi is Haruhi-san, right?" _Tamaki seemed to think for a second before answering slowly,

"_I don't think he'd mind if you called him Haruhi-kun._"

Callie shook her head at him. "_I don't want to assume._" They can hear the chattering of teenage girls before they even round the corner, and then there's screaming and shouting and a rush of yellow coming towards them and Calli only has time to grab onto Tamaki's wrist and pull herself closer to him before they're surrounding him.

She had noticed that there would always be a sudden rush of whispers when any of Tamaki's friends and club members, especially Tamaki himself, would pass. But this - this was insane.

None of them actually touch either of them, but they're screaming and squealing, and they aren't exactly moving out of the way. Tamaki moves so his arm was around her shoulders as she tenses. Yelling always made her nervous, no matter if it was angry shouting or not.

Tamaki navigates through the swarm with ease, greeting different girls and touching shoulders and cheeks, tucking hair behind ears, kissing hands. Calli tried to pull him faster, because today was not her day and she's 85% sure she will have a panic attack if she isn't away from this ridhiculous swarm of girls.

She gets it. Tamaki is handsome. But maybe just because she's his sister, but she can't really see the appeal. Yes, he's handsome and sweet and loyal. Yes, he will treat you like a princess. Yes, he's polite and he can play the piano and he's gentle. But he's also needy and arrogant and eager to insert himself into conversation that have nothing to do with him. He's emotional and quick to jump to conclusions and doesn't think before he acts.

Calli isn't that much better than him, and she doesn't pretend to be. She just wonders why they're so willing to not see that to continue their fantasy. She loves her brother and would do most anything for him, but she still doesn't see why.

They reach the double doors and Calli shoves her way inside, leaving Tamaki behind. Haruhi-san looks up as she slides horizontally against the wall, away from the open door.

"Are you okay?" He asks kindly, walking towards her cautiously, keeping his distance. Calli nods at her shoes and jerks her head at the doors, where Tamaki has just slipped through.

"Is it always like this?" She asks quietly, nervously. "So loud and noisy?"

Haruhi smiles at her, and tilts his head to the side endearingly. "Usually it's a bit calmer, but since it's a Monday, they're a bit more chaotic than usual. Don't worry, they should calm down." He sets the tea set he'd been holding down at the table. "Would you like some tea? It's a new shipment that came in over the weekend. According to Hikaru and Kaoru, it's supposed to be really good."

Calli shakes her head nervously, unsure whether it was rude to decline or polite to not make him do any more work. "That's okay, thank you, however."

Haruhi edges closer cautiously, not wanting to send her screeching backwards again. She obviously preferred more of a personal space bubble than most people, and he didn't want to pressure her further than she already was. "Do you want to sit in the kitchen? There's a table in there that you can sit at and start your homework, if you want. And I'm sure Hani-senpai won't mind if you had some cake while you're in there."

Calli glances at Tamaki, who nods at her encouragingly before turning away to shut the door securely. She nods shyly at Haruhi, who smiles at her and gestures for her to follow him.

The kitchen is as big as her classroom, and the gear is shining with disuse. A sturdy wooden table is set up in the middle, desserts set up on trays on one end. Calli sits at the other.

Haruhi putters around the kitchen for a few moments as Calli gets set up, shoving heavy textbooks onto the table top. He sets a cup of tea at the edge of the table, along with a small pitcher of milk and sugar.

"I know you said you didn't want any tea, but I find it helps after school. Do you mind if I sit with you before the club starts?"

Calli nods nervously, pushing a book aside to clear a place for him. He sits quietly, his delicate teacup cupped in his hands.

Haruhi looks at her several times over the course of the next few minutes, and she can almost feel the questions burning in the back of his throat. But he blessedly remains silent, until Hani-senpai pokes his head in to inform Haruhi that they're about to open the doors.

Haruhi stands up, taking his teacup with him. "Calli-senpai, I just wanted to apologize for intimidating you earlier. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sit that close to you." He bowed his head in apology, making Calli shake her head.

"No! It was completely my fault. I get frightened sometimes when people stand too close to me when they are unknown to me. You don't have anything to say sorry for." Haruhi nodded slowly, setting his cup on the counter.

"I am sorry, though, for scaring you. It won't happen again." He promised, looking at her clear in the eyes. She ducked her head shyly, flushing a bright red. She heard him walk over to her, and saw his feet as Haruhi paused in front of her. "My dad has anxiety too, almost as bad as yours." Calli's head jerked up, nearly hitting Haruhi in the cheek. He stepped back, meeting her eyes. "If you ever need help with anything at all, please let me know. I don't have to help my dad that much anymore, since his medicine is working really well, but I remember how he would get when he was having an anxiety attack. And I know how hard it is to start something new. You're very brave for doing this, but understand you don't have to do it alone. I know you have Tamaki, but honestly, that idiot couldn't see three feet in front of himself unless somebody pointed it out to him."

He says this with an affectionate air, and Calli starts to think that maybe Tamaki's crush isn't unrequited.

Haruhi laughs self-deprecatingly, and continues, "Sorry, this is probably over stepping a boundary, but I just want you to know that I understand, and you can always ask me for help." He waits in front of her, waiting for her to respond.

It takes a few seconds for her to get over her shock. "Thank you. That's very kind." Calli whispers, meeting his eyes fully for the first time. Haruhi smiles at her, then turns away and exits the room.

The door swings slowly shut, in time for her to see them taking their places in front of the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys!<strong>

**So sorry for the long wait, but I'm on break now so I was able to finish this chapter just in time for Christmas! I did have a concussion, but I'm completely healed now so ****the next update shouldn't be such a long wait, I have it almost completely written out! **

**I hope you guys are safe and well, and that you're happy!**

**Thank you all so much for the reviews and follows and favorites! It means so much to me, honestly!**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**

**Until next time, mina!**


	3. Chapter 3

Maybe it's because he's been raised to protect himself and those around him from the men who drip darkness, but Takashi finds the extensive security surrounding Oran Academy unnecessary. There are tall, broad-shouldered men with red twisting around their fingers in dark, tiny streams posted at the front gates of the school, with guns and Tasers holstered on their hips. Security cameras are screwed into the ceiling in the hallways and on the outside walls, and some students even have personal bodyguards following them, waiting for them outside classrooms.

He doesn't find it similar to the way he watches out for Mitskuni, because Mitskuni can take care of himself. Even Takashi himself is outmatched by his cousin, though he is smaller and seemingly less powerful - which is the biggest misconception he's ever come across. Mitskuni seems to dance instead of fighting, pink streaming behind him, leaving stains across every surface.

He watches out for Mitskuni because that's what he's been raised to do, what he has been doing since they were both children. But he would do it anyways, because Mitskuni is his family and there is nothing more important than family for Takashi.

But he can understand that not everybody is able to protect themselves as well as he and Mitskuni can, and that makes the security necessary. After all, this is a high school filled with the children of the most influential and richest families in Japan, and even China, for some. Obviously there are many targets in this school for many different reasons. His classmates aren't fazed by it, having grown up being surrounded by security and cameras and having every move of theirs watched.

He finds Calliope's reaction to the security amusing. Obviously she has never been immersed in this environment, has never been scrutinized so closely or protected so carefully. It must be strange for her, he muses, to be dumped in their culture and having it be so entirely different from her own.

Takashi notices that she doesn't really eat during lunch. It seems to stem more from the fact that she is unused to the type of food and the sheer amount of people who watch her out of the corner of their eyes even after a week of attending school here. Calliope also doesn't meet anyone's eyes, though they constantly are moving, flickering from his shoulders to the tablecloth to the window and to Haruhi's hair. Instead, she shakes out dark blue from her fingers as they tap on the table.

When she sees the cameras in the lunchroom for the first time, it's only her third day here and she is carefully avoiding Tamaki's eyes after she ate the rest of his dessert. Calliope glances at the corner of the ceiling, glances down at the table cloth, then glances back up.

He doesn't really start to pay attention to her until she twists around in her seat to look above and behind her. Takashi didn't realize he watched her that often until that moment. She is a kaleidoscope of color and movement, and if he had the time, he would like to paint her with rainbows behind her skin and cobalt blue in her veins. He recognized that for her, that seemed to be an odd movement for a girl who seemed to shy away from drawing even the least bit amount of attention to herself, though it is in vain.

Calliope stares behind her for several seconds. Takashi watches the back of her head curiously, waiting for something that would explain her actions. Her hair curls down her back, twisting over her shoulders and pooling on the table in streams of gold and puddles of starlight. Calliope glances back over her shoulder, and Takashi follows her gaze to the camera directed at the center of the room, then back at the camera she's turned back to.

He notices that she's observant.

When Calliope twists back around, she sees him watching her and meets his eyes for a second at most before she drops her eyes back to the table cloth.

Takashi knew they were the same color as Tamaki's - they are twins, after all - but he was expecting a bright, jewel like tone of violet. But her eyes are darker, with less violet and more blue. While Tamaki's eyes jump out at you, and girls are instantly captivated by them, Calliope's are more of a dark, seductive color. They are pools of the darkest, richest violet. Unlike her hair, which is clear and honest, her eyes are the night sky and all the stars.

She doesn't seem to notice the guards themselves until later in the week, when she and Tamaki are walking to the club room and she accidentally runs into one of the personal security entourages.

Her blush is crimson and her words are white. Calliope stutters and mumbles and twists her fingers but the man doesn't even give her a second look past his initial assessment and continues down the hallway.

After that, she watches them as they pass by, seeming to analyze them with those dark eyes of hers.

Takashi begins to think that Calliope is different than how Tamaki described her. He didn't even mention the colors that follow her every movement, like a camera blur.

* * *

><p>Calliope does not understand why TakashiMori watches her. It's not like he's being creepy about it - she's realized his blank face is the norm for him by now - but surely there's more interesting things to look at then her.

Fifty percent of the time she even _remotely_ glances at his face it is blank and he is looking at her. She doesn't know if she subconsciously detects his gaze and then subsequently turns to check if he is actually watching her - which he usually is when she looks, but she doesn't actually look that often - or if he's being weird and watches her all the time.

Only once has she actually made eye contact with him, though, right after she discovered the security cameras in the lunch room. Calliope had turned back from looking over her shoulder at the other camera in the corner and found him watching her for the first time - _she thought_.

She had initially thought they were the same strange shade as Kyouya-senpai's, the same silver. But Takashi/Mori's eyes are lighter, the color of silver silk. They stand out against his dark hair and skin. They're slightly unsettling, but it fits the rest of his appearance - his extreme height, his aversion to talking (unlike her, it doesn't seem to stem from anxiety, more like he never feels the need to say anything), his 'Wild Type' club persona.

She becomes more aware of him after that.

Like how he always watches over Hani-senpai - who she knows now is his cousin - and is always hovering near him. He always seems ready to move.

And she swears she hears him huff out a laugh when she accidentally bumps into the security that appears to be tailing a classmate of hers and starts stuttering and apologizing. But other than that, he seems to have a continuously blank expression.

He seems nice enough, though. They all do, as a matter of fact. She's still unsure about Kyouya-senpai and the twins, and whether it's because she's an outsider that they ignore her or if they just ignore everybody. The only person they pay attention to is Haruhi-san, which makes her think that he's done something that deserve great respect. From what Calli's seen, keeping the twins under control might be that great act of bravery.

And for another thing, they're all handsome. The kind of handsome that makes movie stars famous. The kind that makes girls stare in the hallway and is portrayed in books as being breath-takingly gorgeous.

The Host Club has it's own scale, and Tamaki is on top. Hani-senpai is at the bottom, being merely cute instead of dazzling. Haruhi-san falls right above Hani-senpai, the twins above them - Kaoru-San first, Hikaru-San second - and Takashi/Mori behind Tamaki. Kyouya-senpai isn't even on the scale.

Calliope only knows all of this because it's posted on the inside of every girls' bathroom door throughout the school, along with bets and posters also concerning the Hosts.

She thinks its brilliant. Not that they're selling photo shopped pictures of her brother, obviously, but that they put everything that they want to keep hidden from the Hosts in a place they can't get into. Probably the only one.

By now, a routine has developed. Tamaki and her will walk to their club room, and Haruhi-san will already be in the back room making tea for the guests, humming quietly to himself. He'll have set a cup aside for her, and when she walks in, making sure to let the door swing completely shut behind her, he'll look up and grin and greet her so sweetly it feels like she should have a cavity.

Today is no different. She walks in and Haruhi-san smiles gently at her, reaching for her cup of tea and holding it out for Callie to grab. "How was the walk today? Did the girls calm down any?"

"A bit." Calli admits, sliding her bag onto the table top. "They weren't as loud as they were at first, I suppose."

Haruhi-san hums in agreement. "They're used to you now. Since you're never out during Hosting hours, I don't think they see you as a threat any more." He slides the sugar in front of her, picking up a tray simultaneously. "It's a good thing, Calliope-senpai. They'll stop alienating you now."

"Are you sure, though?" She asks quietly, turning the teacup in her hands. "It is unlikely they will change their minds this suddenly after a week of alienating me because of my closeness to you guys."

Haruhi-san pauses from the doorway. "Well, you have to give them that chance." He says quietly. He still makes a conscious effort not to speak too loudly or suddenly around her, though she is getting better. "It's not fair to judge them so quickly and shut them down, even if they've done the same to you. Some of the girls are really sweet and haven't talked to you because they haven't seen much of you. A lot of them ask about you."

Calli scratches the tabletop. "I can try." She says finally, and Haruhi-san smiles happily at her before he pushes out the door.

The door doesn't even have time to swing shut before Kyouya-senpai steps inside, carrying a thin, black notebook. He glances up at her as he walks in, nods briefly, and makes a small note.

Calli watches him out of the corner of her eyes as she pulls out her textbooks and stacks them up at the edge of the table. He walks around the kitchen, opening cupboards and looking in the pantry, taking note of everything inside. Occasionally he'll look over and she'll drop her eyes to his feet but all he does is nod politely at her and resume his activities.

She eventually starts her homework, even while he is in the room. It's easy to forget he's there after a while, though every time she hears a cabinet open, she still looks up at him.

And then suddenly Kyouya-senpai is standing next to her, close enough to grab her attention but far enough that Calli doesn't feel crowded. "I trust that you are settling in well?"

Calli crosses her legs as she turns to face him, twisting her pencil in her fingers. "Yes, thank you. That's very kind of you to ask."

Kyouya-senpai hums in agreement as he writes something else down in his notebook. "Consider it my business to check in with our highest earning host's sister. I don't want to make it appear as if the Host Club is inconsiderate to the relatives of the Hosts."

Calliope squints curiously at him, but he ignores her and continues to scribble in his notebook. Finally, he snaps it shut and pushes his glasses further up his nose.

Kyouya-senpai smiles politely at her, but there is something distinctly cold and condescending in the gesture. "Please let me know if you require anything else, Souh-san. But please refrain from eating any of the cakes; Hani-senpai requires a certain number of them to remain in a good mood."

"Of course. I'm not fond of strawberry icing, in any case."

It's odd to be called Souh-san - she had always used St. Grantine as her last name all throughout school in France, but here, while in Japan and attending Ouran, last names and what families they were tied to was everything. "Will you please call me Calliope or Calli? Souh is my Father's name and it's odd to hear it when you are referring to me."

Several seconds pass in silence as he considers her. Then, he asks without any verbiage, "Why do you not call Tamaki René? I understand that is what you called him back in France."

Calli considers him in return. He doesn't mumble, and he has a way of speaking that simultaneously sets her on edge, nervous for his next word - she feels like he could ruin everything for anybody with one word - and puts her at ease, oddly. "He asked me to call him Tasaki. When we speak in French, I call him Tamaki so I don't get confused and call him René in Japanese. This is his new life, and he wants to keep the two separate."

Unlike Takashi/Mori's eyes, which are reassuring and warm and kind, his eyes are cold and sharp and cut away at nonsense. "But then you being here is a direct contradiction, isn't it? You are a part of his old life, and here you are, in his new life."

Her throat tightens at the implication, and she is silent for a few more minutes. "I am a part of all his lives, past, present, and future." She says quietly, meeting his eyes full on.

Kyouya-senpai is quiet, watching and taking her reaction into account. Then he smiles politely, and bows slightly to her. The light reflects off his glasses. "Of course, Calliope-San. Enjoy your tea." With a final nod, he pushes out the door and lets it swing gently shut.

* * *

><p>Tamaki is slow in telling her that they can go home, so Calli tentatively pushes the door open to see what was going on.<p>

Tamaki is blushing violently, and the twins are laughing. Haruhi-san is grinning at them, and even Kyouya-senpai is smiling slightly at them as Tamaki starts to yell in rapid-fire Japanese at the twins. Hani-senpai is giggling too, and suddenly Calli feels entirely left out and out of place.

But this may be the only time Calliope is actually a little pleased at being left out, because it means that A) Tamaki, for once, isn't worried about her and B) he has made friends that can make him smile and loosen up. Yes, she does feel left out - especially because they're twins and they'd always shared friends before so this was a slightly new feeling - but she's wiling to put up with it. She can make friends on her own if she really tries.

So she hikes her bag over her shoulder and pushes out the door, motioning to Tamaki that she'll be in the limo whenever he's done.

She's only a little upset that he comes down 20 minutes later, trailing slowly to the car with his friends. He slides in, still shouting at the twins and Harumi simply walks off down the street, good-naturedly ignoring the twins calling after her.

Tamaki grins widely at her. "_Sorry, the twins were arguing again_."

Calliope smiles back before cutting to the chase. She was never one to beat around the bush. "_Do you mind me staying around you and your friends?"_

Tamaki regards her for several moments, studying her intently. Even sitting across from one another, they are touching; her foot rests on his and his knee knocks against hers. _"Of course I don't mind."_ He finally speaks. He's quiet and firm. _"I never mind, Calliope."_

Calli smiles at him and hums happily. _"I know, René."_

* * *

><p><strong>This was a bit faster, right? Not even a month has passed! I'm pretty proud of myself. <strong>

**So, a quick explanation about the point of views and how that will work : they will transition pretty frequently, just to whoever can offer the best point for that scene. It will mostly be in Callie's POV though, with Takashi a close runner up. **

**While on the subject of Takashi PoV, I've always imagined him to be a photographer and an artist, even if he doesn't spend all his time with those hobbies. So when he describes the colors and how things appear to him, they will often be metaphors, and extreme hyperboles. So it's not actually like that, but its how he views it. **

**Thanks to fareyes, justaislinn, KoreanMusicFan, and Elvira-Baba for the follows and favorites!**

**MissHikaHaru: Yes, I'm back. Sorry for the wait, but I've had some issues lately that take precedence over this. (I wouldn't be talking though - where the fuck are your updates?)**

**justaislinn: I hope you still like where this is going! This is mostly just character development and exposition, and we get to the really good stuff later, which I think you'll like. And here's your explanation!**

**Classified (Guest): Sometime within the next few chapters, maybe? I'm not entirely sure, because I don't want this to be where she's immediately trusted and given that information, even if she is related to Tamaki. Plus I'm building them up to be good friends, and that would further their relationship in such a huge way that I want to write it right. **

**Proudhollow: Sorry I didn't reply to your PM, I've been meaning to reply to it for ages! I'm really glad you seem to like it! It will be definitely a more mature version this time and less of a happy-go-lucky version like the previous one. **

**Thanks you guys again! Let me know what you think about this one.**

**Until next time, Mina!**


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